Dhaka: The state-owned Bangladesh Submarine Cable PLC (BSCPLC) has achieved a significant milestone by exceeding 4 terabits per second in international bandwidth transmission. This marks a new chapter in the country’s internet infrastructure development.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, this achievement follows the commercial launch of satellite-based internet service, Starlink, in July, which contributed an additional 200 gigabits of bandwidth. On August 1, BSCPLC reached this new milestone, continuing its upward trajectory as confirmed by the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing.
Previously, on April 28, BSCPLC had crossed the 3 terabits mark. In just three months, the company managed to add another terabit to its bandwidth supply. In contrast, in the eight months preceding April, usage had increased by only 1.10 terabits. During the previous tenure of the Awami League government, more than 65 percent of BSCPLC’s capacity remained unused.
Under the current administration, there has been a remarkable increase in bandwidth supply by over 2.2 terabits in just one year, reflecting a 105 percent growth rate. This progress is attributed to policy support from the Posts and Telecommunications Division, proactive initiatives by the company’s management, and two rounds of price reductions.
As BSCPLC’s share in the country’s total bandwidth usage has grown, its revenue has also seen a substantial rise. Recently, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) amended its licensing guidelines, requiring all International Internet Gateway operators to utilize at least 50 percent submarine bandwidth. This change has lessened dependency on India-based internet supply and promoted greater use of submarine bandwidth.
In response to these developments, BSCPLC has introduced special packages with additional discounts for data centers, cloud providers, and hyperscalers. The government has also signed agreements to participate in revised routes of SEA-ME-WE 4, SEA-ME-WE 5, and SEA-ME-WE 6 submarine cable systems, which received approval in an Executive Committee of the National Economic Council meeting.
Once implemented, BSCPLC’s real-time internet capacity will be enhanced by an additional 17 terabits.